Now the cherubim were standing to the south of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court.

Your older sister was Samaria, who lived with her daughters to the north of you, and your younger sister was Sodom, who lived with her daughters to the south of you.

“Son of man, face the south and preach against it. Prophesy against the forest land in the Negev,

and say to the forest there: Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Lord God says: I am about to ignite a fire in you, and it will devour every green tree and every dry tree in you. The blazing flame will not be extinguished, and every face from the south to the north will be scorched by it.

Since I will cut off both the righteous and the wicked, My sword will therefore come out of its sheath against everyone from the south to the north.

He brought me to the south side, and there was also a gate on the south. He measured its pilasters and portico; they had the same measurements as the others.

The inner court had a gate on the south. He measured from gate to gate on the south; it was 175 feet.

Then he brought me to the inner court through the south gate. When he measured the south gate, it had the same measurements as the others.

Outside the inner gate, within the inner court, there were chambers for the singers: one beside the north gate, facing south, and another beside the south gate, facing north.

Then the man said to me: “This chamber that faces south is for the priests who keep charge of the temple.

The side rooms opened into the free space, one entrance toward the north and another to the south. The area of free space was 8¾ feet wide all around.

In the thickness of the wall of the court toward the south, there were chambers facing the temple yard and the western building,

The entrance at the beginning of the passageway, the way in front of the corresponding wall as one enters on the east side, was similar to the entrances of the chambers that were on the south side.

He measured the south side;
it was 875 feet by the measuring rod.

“When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed times, whoever enters by way of the north gate to worship must go out by way of the south gate, and whoever enters by way of the south gate must go out by way of the north gate. No one must return through the gate by which he entered, but must go out by the opposite gate.

Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple and there was water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the temple faced east. The water was coming down from under the south side of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar.

Next he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate that faced east; there the water was trickling from the south side.

On the south side it will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, and on to the Brook of Egypt as far as the Mediterranean Sea. This will be the southern side.

These are the city’s measurements:

1½ miles on the north side;
1½ miles on the south side;
1½ miles on the east side;
and 1½ miles on the west side.

The city’s open space will extend:

425 feet to the north,
425 feet to the south,
425 feet to the east,
and 425 feet to the west.

Next to the territory of Gad toward the south side, the border will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, to the Brook of Egypt, and out to the Mediterranean Sea.

On the south side, which measures 1½ miles, there will be three gates: one, the gate of Simeon; one, the gate of Issachar; and one, the gate of Zebulun.